Choose a gift with a difference this Christmas

Mistletoe, holly, robin and deer are all associated with Christmas, and all are reminders the season’s magic is tied in to the wonder of wintery wildlife. Show your appreciation for wildlife this festive season by following these simple suggestions from The Wildlife Trusts.
Gifts in the garden
When winter comes, the wildlife in your garden will suddenly find precious food sources are running low, and that conditions are less than comfortable.
With a little diet provision and some shelter, chances of survival suddenly become much improved. So, when allocating Christmas gifts, spare a thought for species outside and spend a little time making your garden more wildlife-friendly.
• Feed the birds. Put out high energy foods like fat balls and seeds, and provide fresh clean water. Remember, once you start feeding them, keep supplies topped up so they don’t burn energy coming to your garden only to be disappointed. For a fun family activity, why not make your own bird seed cake? To find out how, watch The Wildlife Trusts’ fun and simple instructional video at www.youtube.com/user/WildlifeWatchUK
• Let your garden go a bit wild. Immaculately tidy gardens with trimmed grass and no debris provide little shelter or food for wildlife. Unruly ivy and long grass provide countless nesting places for insects, beetles, spiders and more – also food for some garden visitors.
• Piles of leaves and other garden litter can provide shelter for small critters, such as voles and ladybirds, and you might even have a hedgehog move in.
• Provide somewhere for amphibians - they seek out crevices to squeeze into, so leaving piles of rocks or logs around the garden can help. Of course, muddy ponds appeal too, and winter can be a good time to dig out a pond in your garden, giving it time to establish before spring.
A resident robin singing in the depths of winter or the first sight of a brightly coloured butterfly, emerging in early spring, are great sources of pleasure. So, it’s not just plants and animals that benefit from a wildlife-friendly Christmas garden, but people too. For more information on how to make your garden wildlife-friendly in December, visit the Wild About Gardens website www.wildaboutgardens.org.
Gifts for wildlife lovers
Many of us may be mindful of waste this Christmas – perhaps wishing to avoid acres of wrapping paper, and unwanted gifts finding their way into landfill. The Wildlife Trusts offer a range of gifts with minimum packaging, and which help ensure the UK’s special landscapes and wildlife retain their beauty and vitality into the future. Choose from an extensive range of wildlife adoption and sponsorship schemes which help protect species, and habitats such as:
• Red squirrels
• Great crested newts
• Stag beetles
• Barn owls
• Konik ponies
• Wildflower meadows
• Ancient woodlands
For details of all available adoption schemes visit: www.wildlifetrusts.org/index.php?section=gifts:adoptions
Membership of an individual Wildlife Trust means free entry to all their reserves and events, and is absolutely vital to the work they do protecting and promoting wildlife on their local patch. So why not consider giving the gift of Wildlife Trust membership for Christmas? You can find out how here: www.wildlifetrusts.org/index.php?section=helping:membership.
Young people can join The Wildlife Trusts junior branch, Wildlife Watch, with a newly-designed membership pack, magazine and website for 2010 – visit: www.wildlifewatch.org.uk/Membership